The host Comox Jets came so close to winning a banner at August long weekend AA peewee provincial baseball tournament.
The tournament saw 1o teams from around B.C., placed into two pools, playing for the chance to be champs between Thursday and Sunday, though the first day saw a major obstacle in the form of nasty weather.
Sunday afternoon, the last two teams standing played for the championship at Aspen Park., with the local Jets facing the Aldergrove Dodgers.
Comox got on the board first with a long bomb off the bat of Chase Little, one of three he had on the day. However, Aldergrove manufactured runs with some ‘small ball’ to add runs in the second and third, moving ahead 5-1.
Comox got some momentum back adding a couple of runs to bring them within one run. The momentum swung for good though in the top of the sixth, when the Dodgers added five runs, three off a home run by Shaymus Dunton. The final score was 10-5 for the Fraser Valley team, though game was closer than the score suggested.
During the medal ceremony after, BC Minor Baseball rep Nick Van Dyk credited both teams for playing the game of their lives.
“Both teams left it on the field,” he said.
He also thanked the local organizing crew for the job they did hosting the provincials.
“It’s one of the best tournaments I’ve been at,” he said.
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During the round robin phase, Comox went undefeated to win their bracket. On Sunday morning, they played their Island rivals from Ladysmith and earned the chance to go to the finals with a dramatic comeback. Trailing by a run with two outs and one runner on in their final at-bat, Nick Lineger stepped up and knocked one over the back wall for a walk-off homer, as he was greeted by cheering teammates at home plate.
Comox coach Steve McNamee said some were surprised the local team made the finals, but the dramatic win showed that the team belonged with the best.
“That was spectacular,” he said after the win in the semis.
